Licorice
A sweet, anisic root with surprising depth. Licorice brings warm, slightly bitter complexity to fragrances, bridging gourmand and oriental compositions with its distinctive candy-meets-spice character.
Character
How it smells
Sweet, smoky, and deeply unsettling in the best way.
Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, a compound roughly 50 times sweeter than sugar, which gives the note its almost confectionary pull on the nose.
Origin
Turkey
Licorice root has been traded across the Mediterranean and Middle East for over 4,000 years, found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs including Tutankhamun. Ancient Greeks and Romans valued it as both medicine and flavoring; the name Glycyrrhiza comes from the Greek for 'sweet root.'
By the medieval period, licorice was being cultivated widely in Spain, Italy, and later England, where it earned a place in monastic medicine and confectionery. Its entry into perfumery came through the broader tradition of aromatic roots used in incense and unguents.
As perfumery shifted toward structured compositions in the 19th century, licorice's warm, sweet profile found a natural home in oriental and amber bases. Today it remains a specialty note, lending an unexpected sweetness that bridges gourmand accents and traditional spice accords in both niche and mainstream fragrance creation.
Wears it best
Fragrances featuring Licorice
Good to know
Questions, answered
The essentials on Licorice in perfumery: how it smells, where it comes from, and how it behaves on skin.
What does licorice smell like in perfume?
Licorice in fragrance smells sweet, warm, and slightly bitter, with a dominant anise-like character from anethole. It carries a faintly medicinal, woody undertone that gives it more complexity than the candy suggests.
Is licorice a base, heart, or top note?
Licorice typically functions as a base or heart note in fragrance composition. Its low volatility and warm, lingering sweetness make it a grounding element rather than an opening flash.
Where does licorice root for perfumery come from?
Licorice root is primarily sourced from Turkey, Iran, and parts of the Mediterranean. Turkish and Iranian roots are considered especially dense and aromatic due to high anethole content influenced by terroir.
How is licorice extracted for fragrance?
Licorice root is harvested after 3 to 4 years, dried, then processed via steam distillation for essential oil or solvent extraction for a deeper absolute. Some modern producers use CO2 extraction for a cleaner aromatic profile.
Is licorice note safe for skin?
Licorice extract is generally regarded as safe for topical use in fragrance concentrations. However, those with sensitive skin should patch test, as natural root extracts can occasionally cause irritation in susceptible individuals.
What's the difference between licorice and anise in perfumery?
Licorice and anise share anethole as a primary aromatic compound, but licorice carries a sweeter, slightly bitter, woody facet while anise reads cleaner and more herbaceous. They often complement each other in oriental compositions.
Can licorice be synthetic in perfume?
Yes. Synthetic anethole and related compounds can approximate licorice's sweet, warm character at lower cost than natural distillation. Some perfumers prefer these for consistency, though naturals offer greater depth.
What fragrance families use licorice?
Licorice appears most often in oriental, amber, and gourmand fragrance families. It pairs well with vanilla, tonka bean, spices, and woods, adding a sweet, slightly mysterious warmth to those structures.
